Welcome to the California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Program Website.

CCC SMHP is a statewide student mental health program being implemented within the California community colleges. CCC SMHP is one of several Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) initiatives funded by the voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63) and implemented by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA). CalMHSA is an organization of California counties working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.

CCC SMHP is a partnership between the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) and the Foundation for Community Colleges (Foundation).

SMHP Resources

In Fall 2017, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) conducted a survey of the CCC system to learn what supports are available to help with students’ basic needs, such as food and housing. Survey respondents provided information about campus web-based resources, best practices, and liaisons. We have compiled several exciting tools to capture and share these responses. A full survey report and snapshot of best practices will be available soon!

The recent wildfires in Northern and Southern California have been disruptive and traumatic for communities throughout the state. CCCs in impacted areas are experiencing significant disruptions to school functioning, and face challenges to returning to normalcy. Many students, faculty, staff, and administrators have been directly affected by the loss of life and property from these fires. The following resources and information are intended to help CCC communities through immediate and long-term recovery, including planning for future natural disasters.

While occasional stress is a normal part of college for most students, the inability to meet basic needs can create significant hardship and prolonged stress that negatively impact mental health. To help ensure the success of all students, many CCCs are developing programs and employing strategies to support student food and housing insecurity. This fact sheet explains how unmet basic needs are detrimental to students’ mental health and academic success. It describes the extent of the problem in the CCCs and provides innovative strategies that campuses can implement.

The California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Program (CCC SMHP) developed “Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) for Students with Mental Health Disabilities” to help CCC stakeholders better meet the needs of students with mental health disabilities. The factsheet outlines recent changes to DSPS regulations, describes challenges that may prevent students from accessing DSPS services, and provides strategies and resources for supporting students with mental health disabilities.

The California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Program (CCC SMHP) has created the mental health 101 primer as a snapshot of prevention and early intervention resources available to support community college student mental health efforts. The Primer is intended to be used as a tool in the college and county’s ongoing mental health promotion, prevention, and awareness efforts.

The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration states, “Trauma is a widespread, harmful and costly public health problem” and “it is an almost universal experience of people with mental and substance use disorder” (SAMHSA, 2014). This document provides an overview of trauma, a discussion of its impact on college students, and a variety of resources and strategies for effectively supporting students who are impacted by trauma.

External Resources

The Community for Accredited Online Schools recently released a new online toolkit, Bullying Awareness Guidebook: Students Staying Safe in School. Although much of it deals with bullying for students in K-12, the resource includes a section on "Bullying in college and other special circumstances." The college bullying section focuses on awareness; particular college circumstances that contribute to bullying; and resources to support educators and college students, particularly students who are LGBTQ or who have disabilities.

The Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 2017 toolkit from Each Mind Matters focused on men in the middle years, who are at higher risk of suicide. Men are also more likely to be gun owners. For this reason, the toolkit includes resources related to gun ownership, such as the Gun Shop Project (GSP). The GSP brings together the firearm and public health communities toward the common goal of preventing suicide. Visit the Each Mind Matters store for all the gun shop activity materials, including FAWs, tipsheets, and brochures and posters.

Send Silence Packing is a nationally recognized traveling exhibition of donated backpacks representing college students lost to suicide each year. The program is designed to raise awareness about the incidence and impact of suicide, connect students to needed mental health resources, and inspire action for suicide prevention. At each exhibit of Send Silence Packing, backpacks are displayed in a high-traffic area of campus - like the campus quad - giving a visual representation of the scope of the problem and the number of victims.Learn more

Active Minds is now accepting applications to host throughout California, in Spring 2018. Last year, tour locations included Mt. San Jacinto College, East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles Southwest College, City College of San Francisco, and West Valley College. Submit your application here. For more information, email Send Silence Packing Program Manager Josh Ratner, josh@activeminds.org

The toolkits include extensive outreach collateral materials to be displayed at multiple locations throughout each of the 113 CCC. The outreach materials are designed to inform students about the Crisis Text Line services, and instructs the students to text the word "courage" to a designated number. Students accessing the text service will be able to receive immediate and ongoing support from trained Crisis Text Line counselors, available 24/7. Additional information about the Crisis Text Line service is available at http://www.crisistextline.org.

The California State University developed this webpage as a centralized source of information for California college students who are undocumented. Some of the information is specific to CSU students, but the Legal Support Services section has contact information for local agencies statewide that can provide free immigration legal services to any students.

If you would like to receive regular updates, please email kdecelle@cars-rp.org, to be added to the CCC SMHP monthly newsletter.

At-Risk is an online interactive gatekeeper training that uses virtual students and role-playing simulations to prepare learners to recognize when a student is exhibiting signs of psychological distress, and manage a conversation with the student with the goal of connecting them with the appropriate support service.

Funded by CalMHSA, this program offers cost-free technical assistance to increase local adoption and promotion of existing and customized EMM tools and resources to the CCC campuses.

The Center for Applied Research Solutions (CARS) is responsible for the content of the page, including but not limited to:
Content accuracy, initial vetting of external links, photographs and graphic images (copyright), files, program, and downloadables, libel and defamation.
For questions or comments concerning this website, please contact CARS at (855) 304-1647 or email kdecelle@cars-rp.org.